Mini Impatiens plant named ‘Immired’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of mini  Impatiens  plant characterized by its small red flowers, freely flowering habit, dark green foliage, and bushy shaped growth habit with excellent basal branching.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Impatiens walleriana.

Varietal denomination: ‘Immired’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct mini Impatiens plant botanically known as Impatiens walleriana and referred to by the cultivar name ‘Immired.’

The new cultivar was developed in a controlled breeding program in Beit Dagan, Israel. The new mini Impatiens cultivar is characterized by small red flowers, freely flowering habit, dark green foliage, and bushy shaped growth habit with excellent basal branching.

The new cultivar is propagated from cuttings resulting from the cross in March 1998 of the proprietary mini Impatiens selection identified as ‘FRA 110’ as female parent and the proprietary mini Impatiens selection identified as ‘BGA 121’ as male parent. ‘FRA 110’ is not commercially available and has not been patented. ‘BGA 121’ is not commercially available and has not been patented.

As a result of this cross the present cultivar was selected in February 1999 in Beit Dagan, Israel and has been repeatedly asexually reproduced by cuttings over a period of several years. The distinctive characteristics of this new mini Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction. It takes 6 to 8 weeks to produce a finished plant, starting from a rooted plug and planted in a 10 cm pot, depending on the temperature.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Immired.’ These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Immired’ as a new and distinct mini Impatiens cultivar:

-   -   1. Small red flowers     -   2. Bushy shaped growth habit with many flowers on top of the         foilage     -   3. Dark green foilage     -   4. Excellent basal branching

Plants of the new mini Impatiens differ primarily from the plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

Plants of the new mini Impatiens have small red flowers (RHS 45B), whereas the plants of the female have small scarlet flowers (RHS 43A).

Plants of the new mini Impatiens differ from the plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

Plants of the mini Impatiens have small red flowers, whereas the plants of the male have larger, red flowers.

Plants of the new mini Impatiens can be compared to plants of ‘Fify red’ disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,753. In side-by-side comparisons in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, the plants of the new mini Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivar ‘Fify red’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new mini Impatiens have dark green leaves,         whereas plants of the cultivar ‘Fify red’ have green leaves     -   2. Plants of the new mini Impatiens have red flowers of about 3         cm, whereas the cultivar ‘Fify red’ has red flowers of about 2.5         cm.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

This new mini Impatiens plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographic drawing which shows blooms, buds and foliage of the plant in full color, the color showing being as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of this new mini Impatiens. The data which defines these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The plant history was taken on 20 week old plants, blossomed under natural light in the field.

Color readings were taken in the laboratory under ambient light. Color references are primarily to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London.

-   The plant:     -   -   Classification.—Botantical: Impatiens walleriana. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary Impatiens walleriana selection             identified as code number ‘FRA 110,’ not patented.         -   Male parent.—Proprietary Impatiens walleriana selection             identified as code number ‘BGA 121,’ not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 10-21 days at 22-23 degrees C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About 28 days at 16-24             degrees C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, and white in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Compact, upright, outwardly spreading             and mounded plant habit.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous and freely             branching growth habit lateral branches potentially forming             at every node, dense and bushy shaped growth habit. Pinching             enhances branching.         -   Plant height.—About 20 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 40 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 17 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 8 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 7-35 mm.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—RHS 146A Yellow-green with stripes RHS 60A             Red-purple. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 4.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 3 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Slightly crenate with minute ciliation.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded foliage, Upper surface:             RHS 137B Green. Developing and fully expanded foliage, Lower             surface: RHS 147B Yellow-green.         -   Venation, upper and lower surfaces.—RHS 148A Yellow-green. -   Petiole:     -   -   Length.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 3 mm.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—RHS 147C Yellow-green. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Numerous small single flowers.         -   Flowers arise from leaf axils.—Freely flowering, usually             about 40 flowers and flower buds per lateral branch.         -   Flower position.—Above the foliage and typically face             upright or outward.         -   Flowers lasting.—About 5-7 days on the plant under             greenhouse conditions.         -   Flowers.—Persistent and not fragrant.         -   Flowering season.—Continuous through the spring and summer.         -   Height.—About 3 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 3 cm.         -   Depth.—About 6 mm. -   Flower buds:     -   -   Length.—About 9 mm.         -   Diameter.—About 5 mm.         -   Shape.—Ovoid.         -   Color.—RHS 147B Yellow-green with 60B Red-purple. -   Petals:     -   -   Quantity/arrangement.—Five per flower in a single whorl.         -   Length, banner petal.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Length, lateral petals.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Length, basal petals.—About 1.8 cm.         -   Width, banner petal.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Width, lateral petals.—About 10 mm.         -   Width, basal petals.—About 10 mm.         -   Shape.—Obovate to ovate.         -   Apex.—Rounded or slightly emarginate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—When opening, upper surface: RHS 45B Red. When             opening, lower surface: RHS 48A Red. Fully opened, banner             petal, upper surface: RHS 45B Red. Fully opened, lateral             petals, upper surface: RHS 45B Red. Fully opened, basal             petals, upper surface: RHS 45B Red. Fully opened, lower             surface: RHS 48A Red. -   Sepals:     -   -   Quantity/arrangement.—Five in a single whorl, one modified             into an elongated spur.         -   Sepal length.—About 3 mm.         -   Sepal diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color, upper and lower surfaces.—RHS 147B Yellow-green.         -   Spur length.—About 3 cm.         -   Spur diameter.—At flower, about 3 mm, at apex, less than 1             mm.         -   Spur color.—RHS 58B Red-purple at flower, at apex RHS 60A             Red-purple. -   Peduncles:     -   -   Length.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 1 mm.         -   Angle.—About 45° from vertical.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—RHS 146B Yellow-green. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Stamens.—         -   Quantity.—Five fused around stigma.         -   Anther length.—About 3 mm.         -   Anther color.—RHS 53B Red.         -   Pollen amount.—None observed.         -   Pistils — Quantity per flower.—One.         -   Pistil length.—About 3 mm.         -   Stigma shape.—Rounded.         -   Stigma color.—RHS 60A Red-purple.         -   Style color.—RHS 137A Green.         -   Ovary color.—RHS 137A Green.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease and pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Impatiens. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of mini Impatiens plant named ‘Immired’, as substantially illustrated and described herein. 